In food processing, manufacturing and similar systems, it is common to have conveyors, such as side flexing, modular link conveyors, positioned in an end-to-end relationship so as to move articles along a feed path. Such systems are especially beneficial in the fast food processing and small article manufacturing industries, where it is often necessary to provide various lengths of conveyors and different conveyor geometries that connect to move the product from one station to another to allow the desired functions to be performed.
The conveying surface of modular link conveyors have an open design to facilitate the removal of debris and product residue. An example of such an open design is taught in Applicant's issued U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,953,693 and 5,031,757, which disclose side flexing, continuous conveying surfaces comprised of the modular links connected by cross rods and guided by side links engaging guide strips on the support frame.
To collect the debris that falls between the links, it is common to provide an underguard that hangs beneath the conveyor, thereby collecting the debris and keeping it off of the floor. One form of the known underguards comprises a web of material that is supported from opposite sides of the conveyor frame by hooks. Specifically, a series of hooks are suspended from the frame of the conveyor, and the free end of the hooks are inserted through corresponding apertures formed in the edges of the web. Although such an arrangement prevents debris from directly accumulating on the floor under the conveyor, several disadvantages remain.
The underguard assembly described above is difficult to install and adjust. The apertures must be placed at precise locations along the edges of the web to match up with the hooks hanging on the sides of the conveyor frame. Stress in the web material is inevitable due to the localized nature of the engagement of the hooks in the apertures. Further, in a conveyor system using several modular conveyors placed end-to-end, it is often necessary to shorten or lengthen the conveyor during a custom installation. Such minor changes in the length of the conveyor cause the hooks to become misaligned from the apertures in the web. This is particularly true for a conveyor system incorporating sections of the curved, side flexing modular conveyors, which inevitably causes the web material to gather along the curve, thereby creating additional misalignment between the hooks and apertures.
Also, the use of hooks supports the web only at specific locations along its length. The accumulation of debris between the supported and unsupported portions of the web causes undesirable sagging. Further, this accumulation of debris significantly increases the amount of the localized stress on the apertures in the web material, creating undesirable stretching. This combination of sagging and stretching results in an aesthetically unappealing underguard and conveyor system, and may also eventually cause the hooks to tear through the apertures in the web material, thereby resulting in underguard failure.
Additionally, it is advantageous to provide an underguard that extends beyond the ends of each modular conveyor to overlap with the underguard of a second, in-line modular conveyor, thereby providing seamless underguard function. As hooks must be supported by the frame of the conveyor, it is simply not possible to provide sufficient support for the web beyond the ends of the conveyor frame to achieve this desirable overlap.
Accordingly, a need exists for an underguard assembly to catch debris that falls from or through a modular conveyor having an improved means of support. The underguard assembly would be easy to install and remove and would provide support along the entire length of the conveyor. Further, the material forming the underguard would be free of localized stress along the edges where the support is provided and deleterious stretching is minimized. The edges should be reinforced and securely sealed to keep out debris. In addition, the underguard would extend beyond the ends of the modular conveyor, thereby allowing overlap and seamless protection between the underguard assemblies of two in-line modular conveyors.